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To water outside plants while on vacation, simply bury a piece of yarn beside of plant and run the other end of yarn into a bucket of water. Presto! The plants will absorb water as needed. Happy gardening!
Thank you for your reply.
Hardiness Zone: 8a
Ruby from Cave Junction, OR
The self-watering system you're referring to is made by poking a couple of holes in the bottoms of milk jugs, filling them with water, and setting them near the plants you want to water. You can put a few rocks inside the jugs to keep them from blowing away in the wind. Two weeks is a long time without water, so make sure to test this system out before you leave for your vacation. You may need to adjust the holes (make them larger or smaller) depending on how fast the water is seeping into the soil. Also, make sure you water well and start with moist soil before setting up your self-watering system.
Ellen
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I've just come across a suggestion to use a wick from a container next to the plant pot to provide automatic watering. This is the first time I've seen someone doing what I've been experimenting with for some time so as to work out a way that those in drought-ridden places can irrigate their plants.
Does anyone have any experience of what I call 'optimal irrigation'? The photo shows a bowl supplying water to several plants. The egg cup is to check the flow rate into one wick.
By GrahamK
I connected 3 barrels with PVC pipe: put a faucet on one at the end, hooked up a water hose to the barrel with the faucet. I used the smallest drill bit I could find and heated on the grill, and burned tiny holes on the water hose by each plant. Bought a Holman timer from Dripworks and put it on the main barrel with the faucet. My peach, apple, guava, lemon, plum, and pear trees get watered automaticely with the timer for two weeks. I go to that property evry two weeks. The ground gets so dry, it gets inch size cracks.
You can make useful self watering planters from recycled everyday materials found at home. A wick system will keep the soil moist and your plants healthy.
